Chaliyar turned into a river of sorrow on Tuesday, carried dead bodies of victims for 25 kms

Malappuram: On Tuesday, Chaliyar became a river of sorrow, as the ferocious flow of water seemed like unstoppable tears of a village ravaged by the fury of nature. The river carried 26 bodies, or rather parts of human bodies mutilated by the vengeful landslide, for around 25 km to Pothukallu near Nilambur in Malappuram district. As rescue teams recovered 26 bodies from various spots in the region, the search is still ongoing, as it is feared that more bodies will be recovered from the region due to the deep and heavy impact of the landslide, which carried human bodies down the river.

Following warnings from authorities regarding the rising water level in Chaliyar, residents of Iruttukutty colony in Kumbalappara near Pothukallu anxiously waited without sleep, watching the water levels rise in the torrential rain that had been pouring since Monday morning. It was they who raised suspicions regarding a tragedy somewhere in Wayanad as they observed gas cylinders and wooden logs floating their way around 2 am. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, they gathered more people in the region and informed the authorities about the developments.

People began searching the riverside early in the morning and recovered bodies and remains from the riverbanks. The first body they found was of a nine-year-old boy floating down the river.

Later, the remains of two women were recovered from Ambuttumuti and Bhuthana. The search continues along the river and in the adjacent forest under the leadership of the fire and rescue teams, NDRF, police, volunteers, and elected representatives.

The rescue teams are facing difficulties recovering bodies from within the forest and transporting them across the strong river currents to hospitals. Mundakkai, the site of the landslide, is 25 km away from Pothukallu.